Good Men & Bad Men
by Seraphine Starchaser
Summary: A seemingly off-the-radar alchemist has discovered how to make the perfect chimera for war, as well as the perfect alchemist. Edward & Alphonse stumble upon this plot that goes far deeper than a madman's dreams, amidst Alphonse's struggle for his own sanity and sense of self. Do the two have anything in common? Rated for drug use, Roy/Ed, language, and other content. Repost.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Architect**

**"He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery."** _–Harold Wilson_

* * *

Alphonse Elric knew he was in love with Winry, his childhood friend from his hometown of Risembool. He had read books about puberty and crushes and love, and although he didn't have a body to portray the physical symptoms (butterflies, dilated pupils, blushing) he deduced that he loved her as a girl. It made sense- had to- because he just felt _different_ around the girl.

It was sudden one day: a thought rushed at him and nearly bowled him over with the realization that he very much cared for the blue-eyed girl. Alphonse wanted to be with her his whole life. She knew what he and Edward did to end up in this situation and still cared about him, _would_ still care about him once he got his body back. Winry was definitely a constant in his life and he wanted it to stay that way. _The only way for that to happen, _a voice in his mind spoke, _is to make sure that she likes you as more than a friend._

The problem was that he was pretty sure that she only had eyes for his older brother, Edward. And it wasn't that Ed was not handsome or caring; rather, it was that he was always moving forward, always searching for answers. Maybe, if they had never tried to resurrect their mother, he could have been content in their small village. Now, Edward would always want to move, seeking new quests after they had found they restored their bodies. As much as he complained about those 'meaningless missions' he was given, Alphonse saw the way his brother interacted with the locals. He learned about their history and always made lasting memories with them in the process. Al, for all his friendliness and charisma, did not care to go deeper than the surface unless something was plainly wrong. All he saw in those towns they went to was what they could have had and it _hurt_.

Alphonse wasn't sure when Winry and Edward had begun to like one another. They hardly saw each other, hardly spent time with each other. How could you like someone you only knew from scattered childhood memories? Alphonse and Winry spent more time with each other, talking and trading tales. Winry only knew the things she knew about Edward in the now that Alphonse had told her or that she had occasionally witnessed herself. Some things, like his hatred for milk, never changed. The girl knew more about Alphonse than anyone, save his own brother. She could read him easily and cared for him greatly. Unfortunately, her caring only went so far as familial love. She remembered him as he was a child and now only saw this armored, hollow body. Winry saw Edward's muscular, healthy body._And,_ the voice whispered again, _Ed did have an actual body to fall in love with._

Al wasn't a fool; you had to have a physical attraction to someone in order to love them – a good personality was just second to having a good body and pretty face. In fact, Alphonse had a better personality than his brother, and once he got his body back, he would be handsome as well. Therefore, he was a better match for Winry than Edward was and could ever be. How did Al make her see that without his flesh-and-blood body?

For the first time, Al was beginning to think that he might actually feel some animosity towards his brother for their predicament. Oh, he loved his brother and didn't fully blame him for their sin, but there was still a part of him that logically claimed some sort of ill will towards Ed. It's part of human nature and, after all, his brother insisted that Al was still human. There's a logical side and an emotional side and they sometimes come together, despite the situation.

And just like that, he came up with the solution. Alphonse would make his brother question his feelings and thoughts in such a way that would completely occupy all others- except for their search. Never their search.

* * *

A month later…

* * *

"That bastard just pisses me off!" Ed growled through clenched teeth, kicking the door open to their hotel room. "He just has some sort of sick, sadistic pleasure out of teasing me! Can't he just leave me alone? I've actually grown up some and he doesn't need to make fun of me for shit I don't do anymore! Right, Al?" That was when he realized that his brother wasn't following him or squeaking at him and his 'vulgar language'. Well, Ed was 16, in the military, and a guy- what the hell did his brother expect, especially after living with their teacher who a mouth worse than any thug? Sighing, the blonde decided to head back out and see if he could find his brother. His face was slightly red with embarrassment when he also realized that he had been talking to himself the whole way to their hotel room. Groaning to himself, he shut the room's door and bounded down the stairs and ventured outside once again.

As Ed walked closer to Central Command, it had seemed as though Alphonse had never left the offices. The people he asked all said the same: no one had seen or heard the armor clanking about, so Edward furrowed his brow and went in the large building. Why hadn't Al followed, though? He would have said something to Ed if he wasn't coming back with him, he always did, and it made the blonde nervous. He ignored everyone saluting to him, intent on finding his little brother. It was just odd, and it wasn't like his brother to just not say anything. What was going on?

Alphonse had expected his brother to storm out of the office as usual, a whirlwind of red and blonde muttering curses, so he was not surprised when Ed continued to walk out of the office and out of headquarters without stopping. This time, Al wasn't following him like he normally would, as his brother expected him to. The armor shook his head noisily and knocked on the door of his brother's commanding officer.

"Yes, come in." Mustang's deep voice muffled through the door and Al turned the knob and swung the door wide enough so he could fit his upper body through.

"Sir, may I speak to you for a moment? I can wait or come back if you're busy," the armor meekly asked.

"No, no, it's alright Al. What can I do for you?" The Colonel stopped pretending to do paperwork so he could give his full attention to the younger, more agreeable of the Elric brothers. _Probably just going to apologize for his brother's insubordination again,_ he thought as he gestured for the teen to sit down.

"Well first, um, I'd like to apologize for my brother –"

Mustang waved his hand absent-mindedly. "Don't worry about that. I do provoke him, but if he really wanted to apologize he would do so himself. Besides, he certainly has matured. His anger isn't nearly as capricious as it once was."

Al nodded his head in agreement. "I know, but I still feel like someone should anyway. I guess it's just a sort of habit now at any rate. I'm glad he's matured recently, but at times…" The armor sighed in defeat. "Especially lately, because he's been rather… hormonal, I guess. I mean, I understand and everything, I really do, but it's not exactly the same because I don't have a physical body. I don't have hormones to make me crazy. And it's not so much that I think it's unusual, it's just that brother doesn't, uh, have an outlet for these _particular_ issues."

"Hmmm." The dark haired man studied the armor for a moment. _It's only natural that Fullmetal would be going through these changes. I remember when I was 16, thought I knew everything and could do it all and all that was on my mind – oh. OH. _Mustang tried to hide in equal measure a smirk (because now he had more ammo against the pipsqueak) and a frown because even _he_ wasn't that mean. Right?

Al had continued talking as the Colonel achieved his realization. "Brother is really a nice guy, though, a gentleman and he wouldn't use a girl or guy for that reason. Though I know that he has to be feeling tension as I'm always around him and the only way he can relieve that, ah, tension is in the shower. I don't know if he's done anything about anything, you see, and we never had anyone that could give us that… 'talk'. We can read all the books we like, not that I think brother reads ones on physiology and biology or any _other _genre, but it's just not the same. And like I said, I don't know what he's going through and I just don't know how to approach him at all because it's really getting out of control."

"…I see," Mustang said when Al had finished speaking. "I can understand myself how awkward of a situation he must be in. While I feel that he may already know much, if not all, of 'growing up' due to being surrounded by people on missions and certain people in the military _(mainly, Havoc and Breda)_, you feel that he would benefit from some sort of a sit-down, correct?" He chose his words carefully. It was obvious what the younger sibling was referencing about but how the hell he expected the teen's _commanding officer_ to try to get him to talk about the joys of masturbation was not something said C.O. wanted to be thinking about. There was also something that Alphonse had said, something that Mustang wanted to be clear about before he came up with a plan to deal with this _extremely _delicate, and possibly life-threatening, situation.

"Yes sir." The sibling had shifted uncomfortably the whole time, obviously uncomfortable. _Ed does _not _realize how lucky he is to have a brother like Alphonse,_ the man thought. Sighing his frustration, he leaned forward on his desk and rested his chin on his folded hands.

"There is one person that comes to mind that would be an excellent person to talk to regarding this, though I'm afraid _(very much so) _that Maes is all the way in East City and about to visit Gracia's parents this weekend and stay there for a few weeks. If this 'talk' were to happen, Edward would need to have it face-to-face. This is not something that can be done over the phone…"

"Of course, that's why I came here. I wanted to talk to you about this to see how I should go about trying to set something up because I don't want brother to be embarrassed and try to avoid talking about this. Since you also know brother, I thought you might know the best way to go about this. And Mr. Hughes was also my first choice with this but if he's away… I just don't know how much longer brother can keep himself bottled up. He can be kinda _explosive_ at times." Alphonse finished.

Roy blinked at the sudden mental image of Edward in the shower with water running through his hair and in rivers on his flesh and metal, flushed and gasping as he reached completion. The Colonel did not know if the younger brother had realized the innuendo of that last remark. _Damn imagination, what the hell is wrong with me? He's a kid and I'm not… attracted? _He cleared his throat, ignoring how his mind had phrased that as a question. "Well Alphonse, I certainly understand your concern. Are you sure he's actually going through puberty, though? Isn't one supposed to get _taller_ when growing up?" Roy tried to jest so he could gather his thoughts. What Alphonse had responded, however, completely blew coherent thought out of the water for a moment.

"Yes sir. However, he has grown several inches within the past year alone and his voice has changed already. His shoulders are broader and he's even had to transmute his clothes a few times this past year. Also, his, um, _area_ has gotten much larger and heavier."

The Colonel had never thought that he would want to vomit and have a nosebleed at the same time but at that moment that's almost what happened. He stopped breathing and his eyes widened.

"I suppose that's to be expected because my body is still at the gate and feeds off of my brother, so the only place he would physically complete puberty would be that area." The armor stated bluntly. The brothers had figured that Ed wouldn't get taller until they got Al's body back, but the rest of his body was starting to fill out anyway. Ed had only shrugged, saying that it wasn't like anyone would see him naked until they reached their goals anyway.

After the initial shock the Colonel had to wonder why Alphonse was so open about this. Were things really that bad? Yet the raven-haired man surmised that there was something else going on behind those soulful glowing orbs. Grasping at an idea, he responded: "Something you said earlier struck me. You said that your brother would not 'use' anyone for gratification… a woman or man. Is this what you are really worried about?"

The armored teen shifted. "It's not that I think brother is gross or wrong, it's just that I'm not as option oriented as him, as it were. At least, I think so because I know that there have been girls that he liked and also a guy and nothing has ever happened. I've told brother that it doesn't matter who he likes but I just can't talk to him about it because I don't know how to talk to him."

"And that is why you came to see me." Mustang nodded his head as he sat back in his chair after regaining his composure. "It's understandable and a completely valid concern." He sighed inwardly. "I suppose that I could talk with him, if you wish because Maes is not here. It seems that you are suggesting Edward would need this conversation as soon as possible and this is the only feasible solution I can come up with for now."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable, sir. Perhaps Lieutenants Havoc or Hawkeye might be able…?"

This time Mustang sighed audibly. "I don't think so. While I trust my men with my life, I don't think that Havoc would be more comfortable than I _(or do more than scar the poor kid for life)_ and Hawkeye is a woman. Certainly, she would be my next choice but I think that Edward would be mortified _(though it would be hilarious!)_. Whereas I would also be embarrassing for your brother, I know how to handle him better than Havoc or Hawkeye. There are also certain aspects I think I can help your brother with."

"Like what?" The armor asked innocently.

"I am someone that is not judgmental as I also have similar interests as your brother." _Somehow, I feel as if you already knew this. _"The military and country doesn't care about one's sexual preferences as every citizen knows. There are certain individuals who disagree with this standing and I've come across a few in my time. So I feel that I can help Edward understand his emotions, learn how to cope."

"I agree completely! Thank you so much Colonel! This takes a huge weight off of myself and brother. He'll definitely be embarrassed but at least he'll know that there is someone he can talk to." The teen nearly leapt out of his chair with gratitude, his armor creaking with the effort of staying still.

"Of course, Alphonse. I only wonder how we are going to get him to sit down for this. I assume that you will not be in the same area while I talk with your brother, correct?" The older man shifted in his chair as he spoke.

Alphonse nodded. "I think it would be better for brother if I were to be somewhere else. Actually, I do have a plan in mind, sir." He waited for the Colonel's gesture to continue before he spoke. "There are some errands that I need to do and I wouldn't be back in the hotel for a while. Before I leave however, you come over and I would let you inside- brother might not let you in unless you ordered him and it would tense him up and make him angry. So he would be somewhat relaxed while I leave and then you try to talk with him. It's not much of a plan but it's probably the only option that wouldn't have him bolting for the hills at first," he finished in an exasperated tone.

"Sounds good enough for me. I'll stop by tonight after work if that's soon enough for you." _Might as well get this the hell over with,_ Mustang thought wryly. _It's a Friday and hopefully by the time Monday rolls around the horror and mortification will have lessened._

"Yes, thank you very much! I really-" but Al's gratefulness was cut off when the door was slammed open by an automail hand. The person attached to said arm was glaring at the onyx eyes of his commanding officer.

"You couldn't just terrorize me, you also had to snark at my brother? Go do your paperwork!" The object of discussion sauntered in the office to stand next to said sibling. "I hope he wasn't giving you shit, Al." Golden spheres peered at the armor, softening. "I was worried when I couldn't find you," Ed stated softly.

The younger stood, only to hang his head. "I'm sorry, brother." He offered no excuse and the older mentally shrugged, figuring he had his reasons and they most likely involved apologies for Edward's attitude.

"Okay. Just let me know next time, alright?" The blonde titled his head and smiled. He swiveled back to Mustang, who was watching the brothers intently. "Hope I wasn't interrupting," though the teen's tone indicated that he didn't care whether or not he had. The Colonel merely raised an eyebrow.

"Are you done here, Al?" Ed asked.

"Yep. I'm ready to go back." As his older brother turned around, he looked at the Colonel, inclining his head slightly. The older man replied in kind, understanding the message. The two teens left his office and suddenly, the weight of the conversation sank in. The dark haired man slumped his head in despair, groaning at the thought of talking to the volatile alchemist about something so private.

"Sir?" Riza Hawkeye's voice made the Colonel look at her. "Is something wrong, sir?" Respectful and precise wording; the woman was always professional, even while being concerned.

Sighing heavily, the man sat up. "How do you talk to a hot-tempered, teenage alchemist prodigy about masturbation and sexual orientation?" He inquired of her.

If she was shocked at the unusual question she didn't show it. "I would think, sir, one would talk to him on such issues in a serious yet understanding manner. Sir."

Mustang inhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath before he answered. "I guess someone has to do it, right?"

The blonde haired woman nodded. "Good luck, sir." Without another word, she gathered up her superior's finished paperwork after handing him a new stack, leaving him to work out the logistics of _that one._

The two brothers walked in silence through town to their hotel room. Alphonse ran through the conversation he had with the Colonel in his mind, amazed at how easily he could lie and manipulate. Sure, his brother liked Winry (though that would be changing soon enough), a girl, though he never liked anyone else- much less another male. Liking someone was only an afterthought to the immediate physical attraction to them after you got to know them better. Your body could be aroused without liking the person at all and this was just the principle that Alphonse relied upon to carry out his plan.

In fact, there was the time when the pair when to Xenotime and met the Tringham brothers. Alphonse had seen and heard Edward and Russell in a compromising action, and it was that memory he relied upon to complete his plan:

_The night before their train left, Edward and Alphonse decided to stay with Russell and Fletcher to learn more about their dad's work. It was past midnight and Alphonse, possessing no physical body, did not need sleep. Nonetheless, he stayed still on his bed to give the illusion as the Tringhams did not know the truth. The door opened and Edward walked in, having gotten up and needing to use the bathroom. Before he could climb back in bed, however, the door swung open once more and the light from the hallway showed the tall form of Russell. Edward turned around and titled his head in question. Russell did not say anything but approached Edward silently, stealing glances at Alphonse, before stopping in front of the shorter blonde._

"_What is it?" Ed asked sleepily, rubbing a hand through his tangled hair._

"_Is he sleeping?" Russell whispered._

"_Al? Uh, yeah. What do you want?"_

_Russell stepped closer and Edward stepped back, only to have to step back until he couldn't when the taller alchemist continued to back him against the wall. "Dude, what are you doing?" Edward hissed._

"_Your fighting must have you pretty toned, right?" Russell asked, placing his hands at the wall to either side of Edward's waist._

"_What does that have to do with anything?"_

_Alphonse resisted the urge to smack his forehead in exasperation. His brother could be so dim sometimes. Didn't he realized what Russell was doing? Yet he kept still to see what would happen. He didn't want to ruin anything needlessly. Suddenly, he heard Edward's breath hitch as Russell moved his hands under Ed's top, feeling the sculpted body beneath. From his position on the bed, Al could see that Edward was frozen._

"_Just as I thought," Russell whispered, a smirk evident in his tone._

"_Wha-what are you-"_

"_I'm feeling you up, of course."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because," Russell leaned into Edward's ear and whispered something before moving his head slightly lower and doing something that Edward jerked at._

_Edward made a strangled noise and tried to ask something again but Russell moved his face over the older and Alphonse heard him kiss his brother. He heard their mingled, unsteady breathing and the rustling of movement._

"_Stop," Edward whispered when Russell had moved his head to Edward's neck, playing with the golden hair that he pushed to the other side. Edward jerked again and then pushed Russell away with one hand, clutching his neck with the other. "I said _stop_," he hissed._

"_Why?" It was Russell's turn to question._

"_I don't like you like that. I don't know what gave you that idea-"_

"_If I didn't know before I do now," Russell whispered in a husky tone, looking down at something._

"_That- that is a normal reaction to-"_

"_Keep telling yourself that. I won't push you, but I'm here if you decide differently." The younger blonde stated, the huskiness replaced with understanding as he turned away and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him._

_Edward trembled and sunk to the floor as Alphonse got up as quietly and quickly as he could. "Brother?"_

"_A-Al," he croaked. "What happened?"_

_Alphonse comforted his brother, reassuring him that it was okay. Edward insisted that he didn't like Russell, that he didn't like guys _at all_, but he was still shaking. He didn't sleep the rest of the night._

Alphonse knew that his brother had pushed that memory down, locked it and buried it and they never spoke of that night again. It seemed that it didn't sway Edward at all the next day when they said good-bye to the Tringham siblings, or any day after that. But if something like that happened again, it would rock the foundations of his brother's world.

Since the moment Al decided to go through with this, he had spent all of his nights researching, trying to decide the best way to set the events in motion. He had an inkling in the back of his mind, niggling away at his good intentions until he was obsessed with finding a way around it.

_It is the only way,_ the voice whispered in his mind. _It's practical, efficient, and there is no way to trace it back to you._

_But I don't want to hurt him,_ Alphonse argued with himself.

_You're not. It's safe and it's not like you would be _making_ him do anything. Mustang would never make your brother do anything either. It's the only way._

Countless arguments with himself kept him from trying to find other ways. He knew that even if he was able to sleep, he couldn't because this would keep him up for days.

It was twelve days after the first thought that led him down this path and he heard Hughes tell Mustang's office that he and his family would be heading out to East City that weekend for a much-needed vacation visiting Gracia's family. They would be gone for a week and a half. That moment something inside Al snapped and he gave in.

He would drug his brother.

Alphonse spend the next few days fervently researching while his brother did military work in Central Command. He looked up substances, herbs, roots, extracts- everything under the sun. Mentally exhausted, he at last found a rare flower native to Cretia that he had seen for a hefty price in the flower shop. The property of one of the chemicals in the flower lowered inhibitions and was also thought to be an aphrodisiac. The substance was only studied as one had to isolate the chemical and then work on making a tincture of it.

The only problem would be the alcohol involved in making the tincture. Mustang would most likely be able to taste the alcohol and that reduced the chances of the plan working slightly.

_It's not like you need to drug him anyway,_ the voice said. Alphonse nodded in agreement. He had only wanted to be safe in the success of everything, but maybe it would be safer to have an adult that was not under the influence.

The next day Al went to the florist and bought a bouquet, making sure to include that flower in the mix. He walked back to the hotel and threw the other flowers in the garbage in the lobby, keeping the three that he needed to make the tincture. That night he transmuted the equipment and began his work and in the morning there was no evidence, save a tiny vial of a clear substance tucked away secretly. Now all he had to do would be to wait until opportunity struck.

Looking back, he hadn't expected it to be so soon, yet he was grateful that it was. The sooner the better, he reasoned. That voice hummed in agreement. After putting into motion the final part of his plan he felt confident that all would go well. Alphonse could not forget the way the Colonel had stopped breathing when he described his brother's body. _At least that part wasn't a lie, _he chuckled to himself. _I still can't believe the Colonel, the master manipulator, was so easily manipulated._

Then Al felt extremely guilty and horrible. Edward and his _commanding officer_ were going to be drugged and while the dark-haired man had certainly shown a curiosity in his brother, the blonde may not appreciate being somewhat coerced into such a situation. Even if the plan bore no fruit (the voice in his mind hissed in disagreement), at least he had tried. If there was any curiosity on Edward's part regarding his sexuality, it would be solved one way or another.

If Al could make Winry happy, then his brother would be happy, too. That didn't mean that Edward had to be alone, or Winry would never give up hope. Yes, it would hurt her deeply (and he regretted having to do this to her) but in time she would heal. Alphonse would be there for her, let her lean on him, and when the time came for his return to his body… everyone would be happy and satisfied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Moment**

**"The past has no power over the present moment."** _–Eckhart Tolle_

* * *

True to his word, Colonel Mustang stopped by the boys' hotel room that evening. He couldn't concentrate on work for the rest of the afternoon and instead tried to come up with a way to approach the subject with his capricious subordinate without being maimed. The man could only think of things _not_ to say which frustrated him even more. Eventually he decided to just follow Lieutenant Hawkeye's advice- be straightforward yet conscious of Edward's embarrassment.

The dark-haired soldier reached the hotel and sighed heavily before entering the lobby. _Just get this over with_. "Excuse me," he said to the elderly clerk as he approached the desk. "Could you please tell me what room the Elric brothers are staying in?"

Taking a cursory glance at the blue uniform, the man nodded. "Yessir, room 218. Right up the stairs on your left side."

"Thanks," Mustang mumbled in reply. _If I try to joke about something, will that be normal or just awkward? _His footsteps were slightly heavy as he reached the door. _I have no choice but to just play it by ear._ Taking one last deep breath to steel himself, he knocked on the wood.

Muffled talking and clanking was audible until the door opened widely. "Colonel!" Alphonse exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Please, come in!"

_He's a pretty good actor. Wonder when that happened? Must be desperation,_ he dismissed. _Well, I'm not a Colonel for nothing- I can act, too. _"Hello, Al." Stepping around the bulky armor, he directed his gaze at the blonde sprawled out on his stomach on the couch. "I've come to talk to Fullmetal."

"Okay! Sit down, let me get you something to drink." The boy went over to the table with containers of take-out and bottles of tea.

Golden eyes watched as Roy walked over to their owner and sat down in the armchair across from him. "Why the hell did you come here, Colonel Bastard? I just got back from your useless mission and I'm tired. Can't it wait?" Edward's words didn't really have any bite to them, just a weariness coupled with annoyance.

"Certain things have come to my attention, Ful- Edward." The teen blinked at his name but remained silent. "While you have been away on missions I haven't had a chance to discuss some things with you that shouldn't be put off any longer."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Edward titled his head on his arms so he could fix the man with a curious stare.

Thankfully Roy was saved when Alphonse came over with a bottle of tea. "Here you go, sir."

"There isn't any more tea, brother but I'll get some when I come back, ok?" The armor fidgeted nervously.

"Huh? But there's a bottle right there, Al." Edward pointed at the table where the lone bottle sat, opened.

"Yeah, but it's opened. Who knows how long it's been that way and it's probably not very good anyway," Al said, still fidgety.

_Must be twitchy because the he's waiting for me to start getting pissed at the Bastard,_ Edward brushed off. "So? I probably just opened it earlier today and forgot about it. I'm sure it's still good." He got up and walked over to the table but his brother blocked the way.

"I don't want you to get sick, brother. Please, can you just wait?" The red orbs shifted around and landed on his brother's face at the end.

"Huh? Al, I'm sure it'll be fine if I just opened it today. 'Sides, I got a strong stomach, right?" The blonde smiled up at his younger sibling. "Don't worry about it, 'kay?" He sidestepped the armor and grabbed the bottle, going back to the couch with it.

"Okay." Alphonse acquiesced softly. Once his brother settled into the couch and took a swig of the bottle he turned away. "I'm going to run some errands, brother. I'll be back later."

Edward frowned. "All right, just be careful. I'll see you when you get back."

The armored soul walked to the door, opened it and closed it after him almost silently. He never looked back.

* * *

"I… couldn't do it." Al stood outside of the hotel, staring up at the room he and his brother shared. He fisted the leather gauntlets that mimicked real hands. "I'm sorry, brother." He had been waiting for the Colonel to show up and became so anxious when he heard the knock on the door that he had nearly knocked over the table the tea had sat on. He already had poured a small amount of the tincture into the tea but couldn't empty it. He quickly dropped the bottle on the carpet so it wouldn't make a sound and the rest of the drug dripped out. Alphonse hoped that the tincture didn't have a strong scent or someone would notice, so he kicked the tiny bottle under the bed. _What am I doing?_ He had thought. _It's not right, I love brother and I want you to be happy… I want to be happy, too; I just… I can't do it._In that moment, he felt such great shame for what he had done that he nearly was tempted to tell Mustang to forget the whole thing.

But he opened the door and invited the man inside anyway, and Edward had taken the tea.

He stood still for a moment hoping that he hadn't done anything irreversible. Alphonse hoped that small amount wouldn't be enough to do anything._ It should be okay, right?_

_You worked so hard only to nearly fail because you are too _weak_. It's going to happen anyway now. You were too weak to see it through all the way and too weak to stand up to your brother,_ that voice that had plagued his thoughts hissed.

"I'm sorry…" he said, but he wasn't sure if he was apologizing to himself or his brother. He turned towards downtown, the setting sun making his armor glow a muted orange.

* * *

The room was silent after Al left, a sort of awkwardness that had both men moving around in their seats uncomfortably. Once the door closed after the armor, the blonde became tense. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked, peering at his commanding officer over the bottle's upended bottom as he took a drink.

Mustang noticed Edward wasn't wearing his usual leather and tank top ensemble. He was wearing dark jeans with a navy button-up shirt with his hair up in a simple, loose ponytail. The golden-eyed teen looked _good_, and that thought shocked him. Maybe it was because the Fullmetal Alchemist was relaxed that Roy could see how Edward's face was more mature; still rounded in some areas but now more angular with maturity. _Al was right,_ the man noted. The Colonel tapped his fingers against the glass of his drink before taking a gulp of the semi-cool liquid, trying to settle his thoughts.

"Edward," the man started. "You're almost seventeen now, right?"

A blonde eyebrow was raised. "…And?"

Edward watched his commanding officer shifting slightly on the couch. _What is that bastard trying to get at? My military contract? _His eyebrows furrowed at that thought. _I still have a year until it's up and I'll probably have to renew it if I can't get Al his body back before then. That's probably-_

The dark-haired man interrupted his subordinate's musings. "You're pretty much an adult now. You and your brother have been traveling and searching all these years as you grow up and mature. I'm sure your body has also endured certain, ah, changes in all this time…" Mustang put the bottle to his lips and drained his glass before continuing. "Look, have you ever experienced any… urges before?"

The teen froze, eyes widening as in shock. "A-are you trying to ask me…" Edward looked away suddenly. "Why are you asking me about that?"

"Because," here Roy looked away as well. "I'm not sure if you've ever talked with anyone about these… issues before and I wanted to tell you that I'm here if you have any questions." In the silence that followed Ed had also finished his drink and put it on the floor before glaring at his commanding officer.

"You think I would talk to you about those things? We barely act civil towards each other!"

Ebony eyes met golden ones. "That doesn't mean I don't care about you! You're my subordinate and-" he took a deep breath. "Listen, I've been where you are right now. I _do_ understand, probably better than you realize." Roy felt his face heating up and willed the embarrassed flush away. "You're not alone. There are other people who like both sexes, Ed-"

"WOAH, WOAH!" Edward was panting as he stood up, the blush across his face spreading rapidly. "I-I'm not…"

"Not what, Edward?" Roy asked softly.

Silence. Edward was frozen in place. He felt a slight jolt in his stomach as he stared down into dark eyes. A sudden chill ran up his spine and he fought the shiver away.

"How… how is it possible?" the blonde whispered.

Colonel answered, "It just is. I can't explain it. You're not alone," he repeated. _I can't tell him his brother told me and was worried._

This made Ed sit back down in slight shock. "You mean you can just _tell_ if someone's…" he couldn't finish. Clenching his hands tightly he fought the urge to put his head in his slightly shaking hands._Could Russell tell?_

"Not everyone can tell, Ed. It was just a guess. I guessed because I," he paused and let out a deep breath. "I'm bisexual. I know that I was afraid to be with anyone, man or woman, for the longest time. I know you've been busy with the military and your brother but you haven't shown the slightest interest in anyone. I've seen you looking at both sexes, Edward. It's nothing to be ashamed of at all."

Golden eyes widened for a second before blinking. "Oh," Edward eloquently responded.

Torn between rolling his eyes and a nervous blush he couldn't quite help, Roy simply sat in the armchair.

"So, uh, how did you know? That you were bisexual." The blonde looked down as he asked the question.

Roy had not expected Edward to be so open and so he was silent for a moment. It wasn't until he realized that his subordinate wouldn't have talked to anyone about this so he shouldn't be so surprised, he reasoned.

"The first person I ever liked, and dated, was a guy. It was disturbing at first; I didn't know how to act. It's all the normal signs of liking someone but just not with anyone you ever expected to." The dark-haired man nodded at his own explanation. It was the truth. "I thought that was it, that I was gay until I realized I was also attracted to women when I dated them as well. I had no one to turn to at first and it was a really rough time for me, having no one to talk to. I don't want you to go through the same thing, Ed." The Colonel finished quietly.

Edward fidgeted. He felt very warm all of a sudden and his breathing was not quite steady. He wanted to reach across and put his hands through ebony locks and get lost in matching onyx eyes and _when the fuck did I start thinking this?_ Before he could fight against his impulse he _did_ reach across the room and made to stand before locking his muscles.

Roy watched the teen confusedly. "Are you okay?"

Fiery suns met his eyes and they were reduced to a band around blackness. Roy could see his reflection in them and was lost for a moment before jerking slightly when warmth and coolness met his clothed chest. He was still staring into the teen's eyes but hadn't even noticed when Edward had moved.

"Ed?" Roy breathed. He was so close, too close… but he couldn't move. Those flushed cheeks and parted lips came closer to his own as those glorious golden eyes were half-hidden by heavy lids. The Colonel put a hand on the blonde's shoulder to push him away but Ed sat his knee between the older man's thighs and leaned more weight on the man's chest. It was suddenly hard to breathe, that weight holding him down and up all at once; it was _wrong_, he had a responsibility and was just trying to help and they would get into a lot of trouble if anyone found out- and suddenly, warm and slightly chapped lips met his and he could not think of _wrong_ anymore, he could only feel _right_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Falling Man**

**"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.**" _-Suzanne Collins_

* * *

Roy felt like he had no control of anything at the moment, and that was something he did not usually feel. Edward had taken him by surprise but he could've pushed him away. He should have pushed him away, yet he was kissing his underage subordinate. Roy felt a shock of fear go through him and he tried to voice a protest that died as soon as he opened his mouth. Edward shifted even closer until he was sitting in his commander's lap. Roy felt so odd, like he was sick, this act itself was sick but he didn't have control anymore. Something had happened and all he could do was give in to the heat of slick tongues, hard teeth and yielding lips. The blonde reached and caressed dark hair as he pressed himself still closer.

It wasn't until Roy felt a hardness mirroring his own that he forced himself away, breathing heavily and arms shaking. "Ed," he panted. Liquid gold stared back, waiting. "We… we can't do this." He felt those mismatched arms wind tighter around him in response.

Edward shook his head. His mind just kept saying _no, no_ but no to what?

"I'm sorry. I won't lie, Edward- I do feel attracted to you. But you're not even seventeen yet and some people won't care if you are in the military or not, you're still young. And what about Al? I know how close you two are-do you think he'd be okay with his brother dating an older man?"

The shorter alchemist's mind tried to make sense of Roy's words through the thick haze that had settled in. _What… Alphonse? What would _he _think?_ The fog cleared some at this realization and Ed jumped out of the warm lap and onto the cold floor. Roy winced held out a hand, standing.

The teen ignored the hand as he stood as well. "If anyone found out there would be barriers at the very least to your goal. At the worst, both of us could be dishonorably discharged for fraternization."

"But doesn't the military not care about…" Edward gestured at the two of them. The words came slowly and sounded slightly slurred.

"There are still those bastards that are against homosexual relations. They will do everything they can to get you out of the military, to hurt you and everyone you care about. Trust me." Edward noted the tone the Flame Alchemist used there: anger. He frowned. " And even though the military may not necessarily care about sexual preference, they do care about fraternization. I just don't want to be the reason that you couldn't reach your goal, especially after all I've done to help you get where you are now. People are watching us closely and we can't give them a reason to look any closer."

"Y-yeah, I get it." The blonde nodded once and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You don't have to tell me twice." He looked away, trembling slightly. _What the fuck is wrong with me? I'd never do that, I don't like guys and why the hell do I feel so weak? I'm not a fuckin' girl!_ He scowled at the thought.

The raven-haired man mistook that scowl for something else. He sighed and rubbed his head. "Look, I already told you that I… that I'm attracted to you. And maybe you are, too, or you were just experimenting. Whatever the reason we need to keep this quiet, okay?" The teen's scowl darkened.

"I fucking get it already, you bastard!" Edward shouted.

Roy frowned. "Don't get angry with me. I just wanted to… dammit, Ed, I'm afraid for you! Can't you see that?"

The Fullmetal Alchemist was slightly taken aback but didn't let it show. "I don't need you to worry. Nothing is gonna happen. We'll just ignore this and you'll forget and I'll forget and things will be the same. I'll call you a womanizing bastard and you'll make fun of me and _no one will ever know._ The end." He turned around and crossed his arms.

"Edw–"

"Get. Out." The teen still did not turn around, and the quiet way he said those words made Roy hesitate. Should he really leave things like this? He didn't want to exacerbate the situation but he didn't want to leave the teen feeling as though he was rejected, like Roy wasn't even interested. Maybe, though, it was better to let the volatile blonde think that way so he could continue being angry at him, to cover up any lingering emotions.

The Colonel closed his eyes briefly. "Alright. Goodbye, Fullmetal." He turned and left quietly.

Edward did not move for a long while.

* * *

"Brother?" Alphonse entered the hotel room slowly. There was only one light on, the nightstand light that cast an eerie yellow glow on the wall and ceiling. The older Elric sat on the bed, cross-legged and still. His head was resting on his hands, blonde bands covering his face. "Brother?" The armor called again.

That golden head finally turned but the matching aureate eyes were dull. "Yeah?"

"What… are you okay?" _I knew I shouldn't have left! Please, don't tell me something bad happened. I'm so sorry, Brother._

"Hmm, yeah. Just thinking."

_About what?_ Alphonse could have let out a sigh if he was able to relax himself but could not. His brother often was like that but this was different- or at least, it could be different. _He drank the tea, the room is still intact, and… I should never had tried. It's all my fault._

"How come you're just standing there?" Edward tilted his head as the haunted look faded back to his stoic mask.

"I'm sorry!" Al blurted. "It's all my fault!"

The short alchemist swung his legs off the bed and walked over to his brother, all the while staring at the red orbs. "No, it's not. It was my decision, remember?"

" But-"

"I forced us to try that taboo. I thought I would play God, or somehow outsmart him just for that second to snatch her back." The younger Elric almost stepped back. _He's not talking about…?_

"…it's not your fault. Okay?" The golden head bowed. "Okay?"

Alphonse didn't know if it _was_ okay. He wanted to tell his older brother what he did, or tried to do but he couldn't speak. He didn't want to disappoint the only family he had left. How could he be so damn selfish?

"Al?" A tentative expression looked up at the helmet.

"You're not to blame, Brother. We both… we _both_ wanted her back, right? We _both _studied hard and were committed to it and we _both_ paid the price. Even if I can't feel you still went through all that pain for me and… and I'm sick of you always trying to blame yourself!" The younger teen's voice rose.

"W-what?" Edward took a step back but Alphonse followed him.

"Everything is not your fault! Maybe it's all _my_ fault! I knew it was wrong but I was too weak to stop you! Or maybe, just maybe, it is both of our faults. We did it together! Why do you always have to try to be the hero?" A leather gauntlet grabbed blue fabric and pulled. "What makes you think you're so… that you're…" Alphonse saw it: he saw sad resignation in those expressive suns but also an infinitesimal amount of fear. _He's afraid of me?_ Quickly he dropped his hands. "Brother, I'm-"

"No, you're right. I do try to act like a hero. The People's Alchemist, right? I guess that's just the way I am. I wanted to take responsibility but I made it seem like your sacrifice was nothing, didn't I?" Edward's mouth was set tight, clenching his teeth. "And that's not right. I'm sorry, Al. Can you forgive me?"

That pleading look almost broke the soul-bound metal boy. "Of course. I'm sorry for being so angry, I don't know what's wrong with me. Please, don't… don't hate me."

"Al," Edward whispered. "I could never hate you. Even if you hated me, I could never hate you. You're my only brother," he spoke as he clenched his hands, both metal and flesh.

_So… he doesn't fear me? Just fears that I'll hate him? _"Brother, I couldn't ever hate you either. You've done so much for me and even if you don't realize that you hurt people you don't mean it. I understand." _And I hope you really do mean those words, Brother, because I've done something so horrible to you._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Action & Reaction**

"**Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress."** _–Bruce Barton_

* * *

Colonel Roy Mustang was, for once, doing paperwork in his office. His door was closed to the outer office because he didn't want to deal with anyone today; he just wanted to get all of his work done and get home. He needed a drink and it was only eight in the morning- even though his… _talk_ with Edward was on Friday he spent the weekend immersed in household chores to ignore what had happened. Now it was Monday and he only had paperwork to deal with and he let his mind wander too far.

Hawkeye had been her usual stoic self and had refrained from asking about how his 'talk' went. _She always seemed to know these things anyway_, he mused. He sighed and continued his work until he saw a new mission for the Fullmetal Alchemist. The Colonel resisted a groan at this. _Okay, so the universe is saying I shouldn't forget what happened. I get it; now leave me the hell alone!_ It was an important lesson… for something, he supposed. He didn't care so he glanced briefly over the contents of the mission before decided that Edward would benefit if things seemed normal… like they were supposed to be. That included assigning missions.

He stood from his desk and opened the door. "Hawkeye."

The woman was chastising Havoc and Breda for something or other but immediately turned towards their commanding officer. "Sir?"

"Find Fullmetal. There's a mission for him."

"Yes, sir." She nodded and then cut a glare towards the two she had been in the middle of lecturing. The two men immediately returned to work and the office was silent.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye was thoughtful as she walked through Central, looking for Edward. She had tried calling the boys' hotel but they weren't picking up their messages. Normally Edward would have already dropped in by now but the Colonel was getting antsy so Hawkeye decided to search for the boys herself as it was approaching noon.

It seemed that something was on Roy's mind, though, if he was doing paperwork willingly. He wasn't even angry that Edward hadn't shown up for work yet. The First Lieutenant narrowed her eyes; something was off, but she shrugged it off to the talk the Colonel had with Fullmetal. She would try to talk to him about it, see if she could relieve some stress or tension on both of them. She didn't _see_ any injuries on the Colonel, but that didn't mean a thing. Their uniforms covered up a lot of skin after all.

Finally the Lieutenant reached the hotel and asked at the front desk for the boys' room.

"Another one, eh?" The old man asked. "What the military want with a couple o' boys, anyways?"

The blonde woman was shocked but held her composure. "Just business."

The old man nodded at that. Either he didn't keep up with the news or else he was nearly blind because _everyone_ in town knew about the youngest (and shortest) alchemist. The People's Hero after all, but if the people didn't know their hero… maybe it was how Ed wanted it. "It's room 218, ma'am. Take the stairs up and it's on your left side."

"Thank you."

She walked up the stairs and searched for Room 218. She heard some loud voices from inside and rolled her eyes; it was probably another argument. She raised her hand to knock on the door- firmly but politely, of course- when she heard something very interesting.

"Brother, I care about you, okay? I just want you to tell me what's been bothering you."

"Al, it's nothing. It was just the bastard getting me worked up like always with his short jokes and-"

"Then why are you sulking? What… what did he say?"

"…"

"Brother?"

"It's nothing, really. I'm just overreacting like always."

"You've never avoided going to headquarters before."

"I'm not avoiding, I'm just tired and it slipped my mind is all. We'll go now, okay?"

"What if…"

"What if what, Al?"

Riza frowned. She shouldn't be listening to other people's conversations like this.

"I, I…"

Riza knocked on the door loudly.

"Who is that?" Edward asked, sounding annoyed. Riza heard footsteps before the door opened to reveal the short Major. "Oh, Lieutenant. I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, I was just distracted." He rubbed his neck and laughed.

"Colonel Mustang requests to see you." At those words a slight flush appeared on the young alchemist's face before he quickly turned back to the room.

"All right, be there in a sec," he spoke as he searched for his red coat. "Coming, Al?"

The armor looked nervous. "Uh, yeah."

Hawkeye turned slightly to give the brothers a little privacy if they wanted to continue their conversation, which they took advantage of.

"What were you gonna say before, Al?"

"Ah, it was nothing. Just wondering if you were eating properly because, you know, that could've been why you've been having trouble sleeping. We should go out tonight."

"Sure, Al, I'd like that. Okay, Let's go, Lieutenant."

Riza smiled at the two boys. They cared a lot about each other, even if they argued a lot. She turned around and led the way back to headquarters.

* * *

"Hey… uh, sorry for wasting your time. To come pick me up, I mean." Edward mumbled.

"It's not a problem. The Colonel is actually doing his work today so I don't have to be there to _remind_ him of his tasks." The older blonde said with a smile.

"Yeah…" Edward trailed off, looking down.

_Seems their talk had embarrassing consequences,_ Riza thought. _I only hope this awkwardness doesn't last._

They reached the office shortly after noontime and as Riza turned to get back to her desk she noticed Edward in front of the Colonel's door, frozen. He raised his hand and then jerked it back as if he were burned. _He might get his hide burned if he takes any longer,_ Riza sighed. _I guess I'll help things along. I'll definitely have to talk to Roy about this if it's affecting them this much. Although… the Colonel _is_getting his work done…_

She approached the scowling teen. "Edward?" The alchemist jumped slightly but turned to her with a frown.

"Sorry, Hawkeye. I was just distracted." Ed turned back to the door but cast his eyes down. Riza's eyes lingered for a bit, trying to figure out whether or not she should just hold both her superiors at gunpoint and demand that they figure this out, whatever _it_ was. Her shoulders raised infinitesimally in a shrug and reasoned that if something really bothered Edward, she would figure it out eventually.

"Alright," she nodded and went back to her desk. She watched Edward out of the corner of her eye as he clenched his fists and finally knocked on the door and opened it. She heard Ed ask the Colonel a question and then step inside, closing the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Havoc asked. The other subordinates were eagerly listening in. They (Hawkeye included) all loved office gossip but they were all friends. If they could do something to help this awkwardness they felt radiating from the closed-off office they would all be better off.

This time, however, Riza was reluctant to give out any information. It was embarrassing enough for others to know, even if they wanted to help- like Alphonse. So she ordered the men back to work instead of indulging them.

* * *

Mustang looked up in surprise at the open door but quickly schooled his features back into his stoic mask. "I have a mission for you."

"Of course." _Duh! Why the hell else would he call you here, dummy?_ Edward closed the door behind him and went up to the desk, holding out his hand expectantly for the report.

If the Colonel had hesitated slightly before surrendering the papers over neither of them acknowledged it. The office was silent as Ed looked through each page quickly but thoroughly. The raven-haired man tried to keep his eyes averted from the teen in front of his desk but his eyes kept wandering back to that spot. Edward tensed at this attention but did nothing else as he kept his own golden orbs glued to the pages.

"Okay," Ed said as he handed back the papers. "So all I have to do is find this guy, question him and look around, and take him in if he resists?"

"Preferably without blowing anything up and without killing him."

"Hmm." He waved his hand dismissively as he turned to leave.

"Just… be careful, Fullmetal." Roy commanded.

Edward paused briefly at the door but didn't turn around or answer. He left quietly.

* * *

"I've got another mission," Edward explained to his brother as they were walking through the town. Alphonse was surprised; the quick-tempered alchemist didn't even raise a fuss as he exited Headquarters. They continued to walk downtown.

"Ah, okay. So what is it this time?" Alphonse asked. He could feel something was off but his brother wouldn't say anything about what happened that night. The guilt was eating at him but he just _couldn't_tell his only family that he had done something so horrible. How do you go about telling your sibling that you set them up to- to be raped? Alphonse had a momentary lapse of sanity or something. He knew that he needed to get out of his cage, this suit, if he wanted to help prevent something like that from happening again.

Point of the fact was that he was desperate. It had been about five years now that he was still trapped. He was worried that he would get that desperate again, desperate for some attention that he didn't need. And so he had somewhat decided to not tell his brother what he had done. Or at the very least, he put it off. It would do neither of them any good now. Ed wouldn't be able to concentrate if he felt that he couldn't trust his brother at such a crucial time and he would most likely be killed.

_And he'd probably never restore you to your original body, _the cruel voice whispered. Alphonse had listened to that voice before, when he followed its advice before- and look where it got him now. He refused to acknowledge that voice and instead focused on his brother's mission.

"…and that's pretty much it, I guess." Edward finished.

"Eh… what?" Al sheepishly asked.

"What's with you?" The blonde suddenly stopped and turned. "Are you okay, Al?" Those golden eyes probed his own glowing orbs for a sign.

"Er, yeah, I was just thinking about- oh, look! A cat!" He pointed one leather gauntlet over his brother's shoulder at a rather large cat. The two Elric siblings were now in the warehouse district of town, a place notorious for criminal activity. Alphonse assumed that this was where Edward was supposed to go for his mission as he tried to distract his brother.

Ed turned quickly to look but there was no cat. "Al, we can't take any animals, you know that. Besides, it must have run away after you screamed just now."

"Hey! I did not scream!" The soul-bound suit indignantly squeaked.

"Anyway," Ed said pointedly, "I'm supposed to look for a guy that the military's had their eye on for a while. Said he might be trying to do transmutation… similar to what Tucker did. Supposedly, this guy, Adam Peterson, is attempting to fuse together a human and an animal into a chimera. Then he's trying to see if he can separate them again."

"But that can't be done. Alchemists have tried for centuries but it's just not possible without killing them both." Alphonse shook his head in disbelief. This mission had a horrible déjà vu to it and brought back memories they'd rather not face again.

"Yeah. People never learn. I guess humans are pretty dumb, huh?" Edward asked. There was silence for a moment. "Well, Peterson's lab should be in one of these abandoned warehouses. Honestly," he shook his head in disbelief. "I don't get why the city doesn't tear these old things down with all the criminals running about." He supposed that was a matter for a different day and continued walking.

Alphonse clanked behind his brother as quietly as he could. They kept a lookout for anything that looked like someone had been around recently but it was hard to tell. The old buildings looked so much alike: decrepit, splintering wood and wrecked steel with shattered windows scattered. The alchemists looked inside each building just in case.

They continued their careful search as the day wore on. The sun was starting to set and it was getting colder with the approaching winter season. Finally they reached one warehouse that stood out from the rest in that it wasn't falling to pieces. In fact, it looked better taken care of. No windows were broken, the wood was solid and the most noticeable was the tang of alchemy in the air, though it was weak.

Then Edward nodded his head towards his brother and crept closer to the building. He listened carefully for any sounds inside but he could hear none. He silently climbed some crates and peered in through the windows and noticed that there were bars on the inside of the building. There didn't seem to be anyone inside for all he could see in the setting sun. Edward clambered back down and thought for a moment.

The military wanted this guy in custody; he was doing dangerous work and Ed knew all too well what crazy, desperate men who lived in science were capable of. Should he break down the door, break in silently or see if knocking would work? The second option seemed the only one so he went with that.

"Al," he whispered. I'm going to try to sneak in so I need you to stay out here and keep watch."

The armor nodded in assent. Alphonse couldn't really move quietly so he had to wait out until Edward gave the signal, or he heard otherwise.

The Fullmetal Alchemist turned back to look at the door in front of him, surly. _This is the second damn door today that's got me preoccupied._ He took a quick breath and his anger turned to fierce concentration as he clapped his hands. Ed placed them on the door and pulled them apart; the transmutation took care of any basic locks or bolts and sound. Once the doors were slowly open enough for him to slip through, he did so without bothering to shut them. It provided some light into the dingy place, after all.

The only sounds he heard were his footsteps slightly echoing on the concrete floor. Even muted through leather, the automail foot resounded faintly. Edward wasn't exactly built for stealth missions but he continued anyway. He just wanted to get this mission over and done with.

The warehouse was pretty large though inside it was empty. The Edward's hearing could discern this from the slight echoing in the room. He picked up no breathing, no shuffling, not even any items- it was empty, indeed. _Okay, _Ed figured. _Either there's a trap door around here or this isn't the place._ He looked back towards the doors and saw, in the dust, footprints. They were rather large animal footprints. _Probably a dog or something._

Still, Edward continued to walk silently and search for the trap door in the near-darkness. Finally, his foot hit something that made a hollow sound. He knelt and examined the area: it was a rectangular piece of concrete that had a small, hidden ring near the edge to lift it up. Smirking, he pulled it up with his automail arm- it was heavy- and set it aside. The smell of dew and something unpleasant wafted up to him. He took a deep breath and peered in.

It looked as though there was no ladder or anything to help him down. _So much for doing it silently._ He could risk a transmutation but decided that it wasn't that far to jump because he could see the floor.

There was a hissing noise and Edward stood still after having jumped down. The noise intensified and before he could clap his hands a heavy weight jumped into his chest and he fell down, breathless as the weight kept him down.

"Wha-"

"It seems we have caught a rat," an amused voice rang out in the darkness.

"Who the hell are you? Show yourself, coward!" Ed yelled from his position. The weight on top of him doubled and he bucked, trying to get rid of it.

"Don't even bother," the voice said. "They are stronger than they look." There was a bright flash and the blonde closed his eyes against it briefly. The flash illuminated the room and Edward felt the heat- fire- as he opened his eyes once more and looked into deep brown eyes.

"Hello there, Edward Elric." The voice had a face: Adam Peterson. "I'm honored that the military sent you to me. It means that I've been doing my work," he smirked.

It was then that Ed noticed the weight on his body was due to a chimera the size of a bob cat. It hissed at him, narrowing its green eyes as its face twitched. The chimera looked to be made up of multiple felines- feral cats and their larger cousins.

"Do you like him? He's my favorite of them- very protective and loyal. The others are nice, too." Peterson motioned towards the three other weights on Edward's body; other chimeras. "I must admit I have a soft spot for cats."

"So what the hell do you want with me, you bastard?" Edward growled. He continued to struggle, spread-eagle on the ground.

"I've noticed you ever since you first joined the military," Peterson said. Those brown eyes looked him over appreciatively. Ed suppressed a shudder and glared harder, daring him to try anything.

"I like your power. I wanted it for myself, actually. I thought I would steal you away when you were younger but I had not perfected my experiment yet."

"You mean putting chimeras back to what they once were?"

"In a way, yes. That was my original goal. I wanted to see if I could separate them, and when I had perfected that I would attempt the state alchemy exam. But things changed when I saw you could perform alchemy without a circle," Peterson murmured. He paced out of Edward's sight to stand in front of the fireplace in the dingy room.

"But then I wanted to see if I could take certain abilities of one being and take them for myself or transfer them into something else, to make the ultimate chimera."

"_You_," Edward whispered, eyes wide.

"Correct." The brunette flashed his pointed teeth in a grin. "I have made myself stronger, faster, enhanced my senses… the only thing I need left is your ability to transmute without circles."

"Just try it, motherfucker!" Edward bucked against the chimeras and they bit into him- even the automail. "What the-!"

"Did I forget to mention that I also perfected my pets? Their teeth are nearly as strong as diamonds and are able to pierce steel- such as automail."

"Bastard!" The blonde didn't even flinch as those jagged teeth tore further into his body. He was held down by fucking _cats _and he couldn't do a thing- his hands were spread out and held down fast.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Strength**

"**Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to." **_–Oscar Wilde_

* * *

_Breathe,_ he ordered himself. Edward forced himself to relax against the sharp pain and the feline chimeras loosened their grip slightly. _Just a little more._ He could hear the sounds of preparation: papers, books, chalk- all scraping together. He needed to act and fast.

Suddenly there was thudding above the floor (_was I that loud?_) and a voice called down into the darkness. "Brother?"

Peterson stopped his movements and the cats tensed again.

"Are you down there?" Silence. The blue lightning of alchemy flashed and stairs appeared at the entrance. Clanking armor walked downwards and gasped at the sight of his brother being held down. "Brother!"

The cats at the elder Elric's legs let go and sprang at the armor. Edward took advantage of this to gain momentum and somersault backwards, forcing the cats to let go as he clapped his hands and transformed his automail into the familiar spike.

The cats sprang back into action, circling the two brothers menacingly. Peterson watched, amused.

"So it's true," he mused aloud. "You have no body, Alphonse Elric. How interesting." He knelt and drew an array that flashed the room brighter and sent a grasping hand of concrete towards the brothers.

The two ran and took the momentum to run up the sides of the basement and flip over the hands. The concrete faded back and Edward clapped his hands again and placed them on two of the cats. Nothing seemed to happen as the cats continued to pursue them as bit into Alphonse's armor- and their teeth disintegrated.

"What-" Peterson began.

"Since I know the composition of their teeth, I merely transformed them into something more malleable. They aren't your perfect pets anymore!" Edward ran towards Peterson, spike ready, when the two remaining cats grabbed his arm and swung him to his knees as they ripped off some of the automail.

Alphonse transmuted the floor into muzzles on the chimeras as they tried to grab onto the remaining metal arm. Furious hissing and growling broke loose as they tried to paw the concrete off their faces.

Peterson had approached Edward who had fallen back into his butt. "Looks like you can't use your alchemy anymore. That's good for me."

Edward noticed where he was sitting- on a transmutation circle. "Shit!" he cried as the brunette chimera knelt and moved his hands to the circle. As his palms were about to touch the floor he was knocked back as a part of the floor rushed towards him.

"Al!" Ed looked over his shoulder at the armor.

"Are you okay?" The sibling ran to Edward.

"Yeah, but the bastard's knocked out cold. Good going, Al. You saved me again," Edward smiled lovingly yet sadly at his brother.

"I'm just glad you're safe. I'll make sure he is restrained and we'll call for back-up," Alphonse said. He walked over and made hand-cuffs to place on the unconscious man.

* * *

The afternoon stretched on and the tension had ebbed away somewhat until Colonel Mustang was heard on the phone. "He WHAT?"

Everyone winced; seemed like Edward had done something stupid again.

"Okay, well, at least he's caught. I'll be there soon, Alphonse. Tell your brother to stay there as well."

The office door swung open to reveal a haggard Colonel. "Fuery, contact the MP. Tell them that Fullmetal caught Peterson and they should get down there before it gets dark. Havoc, Hawkeye, come with me. Breda and Falman, call the hospital and tell them to reserve a room for Fullmetal." He ordered as he swept out of the outer office and into the hallway.

Everyone glanced around briefly before hurriedly doing their assigned tasks.

The three officers reached the warehouse district and found the two brothers talking to the military police.

They all noticed that Edward's automail arm was torn off to the middle of the upper arm. Wires were hanging loose and the metal looked to have been almost bitten off; there were teeth-shaped dents and scratches all over it as they got closer. Teeth weren't that strong naturally.

Mustang approached the teen while the two lieutenants hung back, watching the scene. They watched as the Colonel and the Major talked briefly, hardly looking at the other. The tension was back full-force and…

"Is Edward… _blushing_?" Havoc whispered to Riza. She deftly elbowed him and hissed, "Quiet."

"But-" he received another jab and fell silent. _What's going on?_ Then their two superiors turned away from one another almost as if they were shy. _This ain't right,_ Jean thought. _Something's up and they're acting weird._

Riza just looked onwards, steadily watching the pair as well as the hulking armor that stood farther away, head down.

* * *

Edward was in the hospital, dressed in the patient garb and fidgeting as he waited for his mechanic to come and fix him up.

"Winry didn't sound too angry over the phone, brother," said Alphonse who stood in the corner of the small room.

Ed laughed a little. "Yeah, but that don't mean shit in person. Watch out for flying wrenches, right?"

"Maybe she's changed. She seems to be nicer to you." _I wish she would like me as much as she likes you, brother._ _But I'll be happy for you both if you do end up together._

Edward snorted at that. "We'll see, Al."

There was a brief knock on the door before it opened. Riza and Winry walked in together, both carrying tool boxes.

"Hello boys," Riza greeted. "The Colonel will see you after you are released to go over the details of your previous mission, Edward."

"Hm." The teen flickered his eyes away in acknowledgement.

"Edward, what happened to the arm I made you?" Winry exclaimed as she got closer to the bed. The room was a little crowded with everyone in there so Riza and Alphonse excused themselves. Winry took his what was left of the automail and examined it. "Are these… teeth marks?"

Edward grimaced. "Yeah, uh, you know how it is- insane alchemist with equally insane chimeras." A faint flush lighted his face but it was from the memory of kissing Mustang. _Dammit, at a time like this? I like Winry, NOT my fuckin' superior in the military!_

"Edward?"

"Huh?" The blush was gone instantly.

"Is… is that why you're here in the hospital? Because of chimeras?" The blue-eyed girl asked shyly.

"It was more of a precaution than anything, actually. I just had a few stitches but nothing bad, really." It wasn't even close to the truth; those teeth had bitten and torn into his skin and he had to have over 50 stitches on his body.

Winry seemed a little calmer but not placated. "My automail wasn't good enough to help you…"

"Eh? What are you saying? Yours is the best around, Win!"

A few tears escaped and dropped onto the white hospital blanket.

"Don't cry. Their teeth had the same consistency of freakin' diamonds, Win! Nothing can really compete with that."

"D-Diamonds? Really?" The girl sniffed. "That's… pretty crazy, alright." She wiped her eyes. "Sorry, I'm such a baby…"

"You're not, Winry. I'm really okay, and your automail was still strong enough to help save me," Ed smiled softly.

"I'm supposed to be strong for you, though. That's what families do, right?" Winry shifted her watery gaze to Edward's golden one. "So I'll be stronger for you."

Edward merely smiled wider. He couldn't dissuade her if he tried.

Winry blushed at his smile. "I'll always be here for you, Ed. I'll always wait." Her blush deepened and she looked away.

The smile on Ed's face faltered. _Winry… I…_

Suddenly Winry turned back to face Edward as her blue eyes sparkled. She leaned in towards Edward, brushing her lips against his. It was soft, warm and nice- but… it wasn't the same.

And Edward cursed himself for feeling that way.

The girl's eyes were partly closed as she leaned away and the bright red of her blush went all the way up to her ears. "That's a promise," she whispered.

Ed was speechless- even his internal thoughts had ceased their whirlwind of comments.

"Now let's get to work on your arm!" Winry exclaimed, brandishing her tools in the air.

* * *

Edward was released from the hospital the next day. His arm was back and he felt better, even with all the stitches he had. Physically, at least, he felt better; his mind was a different story.

The three of them- Alphonse, Ed and Winry- arrived at the boy's hotel. Winry was staying with them as her train was the following morning. Nothing had changed between Edward and his mechanic outwardly, but there was still an air about them that said something had happened.

Once they were settled in their respective rooms Colonel Mustang and Riza Hawkeye showed up. Riza went to talk with Winry and Roy knocked on the door of room 218.

"Hello, Colonel. How are you doing?" Alphonse said as he opened the door.

"Alright. I'm here to talk with Edward." Mustang made a face; _that_ sounded too familiar for his liking.

"Yep, he's just resting right now. I was going to check if Winry needed anything." The armor seemed unusually twitchy at that.

The Colonel nodded his head and proceeded inside, hearing the door click shut after the armor left.

The teen alchemist was sleeping on the bed, propped up by some pillows and covered by the sheet. His shirt was off and Roy could see every muscle, every scar and every stitch and he was taken aback slightly. The braid was in a low ponytail, falling out of its band and the golden strands fanned across the pillow.

The raven-haired man's breath caught for a moment before evening out. He shook his head as emotions washed over him. _This is definitely more than attraction,_ Roy thought despondently. And it truly was sad, knowing that the two of them could have had something more if the circumstances were different.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Courage**

"**It is curious– curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare."** _–Mark Twain_

* * *

Roy pondered the dilemma he was in, entering the dim hotel room to see the subject of his thoughts sleeping.

Why was it so _hard_ to forget that one kiss had happened? That kiss was better than many he'd ever had, man or woman; how could a kiss humble him and make him go mad with lust?

Edward's form stirred on the bed slightly and he awoke with a wince. "Damn stitches…" He glanced up through sleep-hooded eyes at his superior. "What're you doing here, bastard? Being a creeper?"

"Did you forget already, Fullmetal? I'm here to talk more about your previous mission. We would've talked at the hospital, but…" _but I didn't want to see you with her. _"I was busy." He received an eye roll for that. So it wasn't original- but he wouldn't tell the truth.

"Anyway, now that you're awake, we should go over some details."

"Why? Can't you wait for the report?" Ed asked.

"When would you be able to write the report?" Mustang countered. "Look at you, you can barely move with all the stitches you have. I thought it would be more efficient if I wrote the report." _It was Hawkeye's idea, not mine._

Pink bloomed on Edward's tanned face. "Can't the brass wait for my report?"

"Unfortunately, no. The military are trying to get all of this guy's info, including how he got all of the information to build those chimeras." Roy tried to keep his mask firmly in place, despite the desperate cracks that seemed to be forming only for Edward. _This is not normal, dammit! I'm supposed to make fun of him for getting taken down by cats that are bigger than him or something, but I can't._

"Which means they want me to investigate his lab and notes, right?" The blush was gone and the change in Edward's tone was instantaneous.

"Right."

The blonde sighed. "No rest for the wicked. All right, Colonel Bastard, you'd better get ready to write."

Roy nodded, brushing off the insubordination as he grabbed a chair and hunched over the night stand with a pen and a notebook. He smirked, then said: "So this nightstand seems to be the perfect height as a desk for you, Fullmetal Shrimp."

The lamp that had been standing on the nightstand made contact with is head but was set down again. The hit wasn't hard enough to break the lamp (or the Colonel's head) but left enough of a warning. "That was lame. I'm not even going to flip out on you." The younger man huffed out.

The Colonel blinked. Even though he was technically assaulted with a lamp (that was really more of a bump on the head), Edward did not truly rise to the bait. So Roy, desperate to see some normalcy (_if he reacts immaturely, it'll be easier to remember how young he is_), replied: "At least I didn't get sent to the hospital by cats that were bigger than you- which isn't a hard thing to accomplish, being taller than you!"

A golden eye twitched. "How about you get writing before I shove that lamp up a certain orifice?"

Mustang opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it. "Fine; get talking, brat."_(__Brat, he is still a child, no matter his physical development, or his mental age, despite the horrors he's seen and done, he _can't_ change on me!)_

Edward ignored the jab and started talking. "The warehouse seemed pretty empty and unused, though it still looked in better shape than the others around it. No broken glass or rotting wood or sagging structural problems, despite the old appearance of everything. If you didn't know what to look for, it'd be easy to glance over it. There were bars on the windows, on the inside; most likely to keep the non-loyal chimeras from earlier experiments inside, because the chimeras that I came across had teeth as strong as diamonds."

The Colonel nodded grimly, writing down. _That explains the automail and how deep those gashes went. _At first, it was hard to believe that Edward had been taken down so easily. Yet, Roy knew that if anyone had stood a chance against those things, the Fullmetal Alchemist would have. He was strong, even without the automail, and possessed a diamond-brilliant mind.

"So I went inside the building and found nothing except a small latch and a secret door that led to the basement. There weren't any stairs that I could see or feel, and I didn't want to make any to give away my presence. I jumped the short distance down and then I heard a hissing noise. It was really distorted and I wasn't sure what it could have been…" Edward looked down, clenching his fist. "The file, the report, didn't have much on Peterson. I hadn't expected something quite like what I had seen."

Mustang easily deciphered the rest of that statement: _and I hesitated, giving them an opening. _It wasn't something the teen should beat himself up about because it was dark and if you didn't know, how could you defend yourself? The dark-haired officer decided to stay quiet because Edward would still find a way to blame himself… much like Roy himself, actually. _Another thing we have in common- wait, don't go there!_

The blonde continued: "Anyway, so one of the cats jumped on me- heavy fuckers- and then Peterson lit a fire in the fireplace there so I could see the chimeras as they all held me down. He told me that he wanted to deconstruct me, see how I could just clap and use alchemy and take it for himself. That's pretty much what he did with the chimeras; he learned how to take certain parts of animals and put them all together. He made the perfect chimera- not just once, either."

_Peterson was not only a genius, but extremely dangerous… no wonder the military wants his notes, _Mustang mused. Then, "Do you think there are any more chimeras that he may have hidden?"

Golden eyes blinked, then narrowed. "I hope not. I can only imagine, though, since Peterson was pretty smart… if he got caught, he'd want one of his loyal chimeras to break him out. His chimeras were also intelligent, at least enough to understand and follow through on his orders."

"Which means that the sooner we go through his notes and his lab, the sooner we can catch any rogue chimeras." The Colonel concluded.

Edward nodded, glancing up at Mustang with a hardened expression. "We can't let anyone get hurt by those because they will be killed. Those chimera… I've never come across something like that before. Peterson knew what he was doing, I'll give him that."

"We won't let them get away. I'll-"

"Stay out of the way." Edward interrupted. Before his superior could say anything, he continued. "You've never had to deal with chimeras before, and these aren't any half-assed ones. You can't send anyone out with or without me because it's too dangerous." The teen knew that the Colonel wanted to protect him but he couldn't. These were extremely dangerous animals, with human intelligence and fast reflexes. It would be hard for the Colonel to snap and aim at these beasts if they were constantly moving, let alone have the time to make an alchemic circle that required precision and concentration.

"Ed, you can't do this by yourself! We don't know how many of those things there are- if there are any at all!" He was suddenly so angry that Edward would push aside the safety of himself that easily. His life was not worth less than any other, if such a thing held worth. But he mattered to so many people-people, the Colonel knew, Edward would protect with his life. With that thought, Roy deflated a bit, though still stung by the teen's defiance.

"I'm not saying I'll be by myself, jackass!" Edward shouted, golden eyes sharp and glaring.

Mustang was not intimidated by that glare and returned one of his own, trying to get the point across that it was okay to accept his help."Oh, so Alphonse will be there? Did you forget that they chewed off your automail like a goddamn toy? What do you think they'd do to him? If there's more people-"

"There would be more targets!" Ed yelled back. He ran a hand through his hair and winced at the pull of his stitches. "Look, I know we're not invincible. I just don't want anyone to get hurt because honestly, someone _will_ get hurt. _I_ got hurt because who the hell expects something like that? The perfect chimera… No one's ever made one before. Even if I tell you what to expect, you'd still get hurt." Edward looked down at his lap in a mix of embarrassment and fading anger. The following silence was tense but bearable, and it didn't escape either of their notices that the blonde voiced his concern for older alchemist.

The Colonel sighed. He wouldn't be surprised if Hawkeye came in right now, guns cocked and aimed at their heads. She had a knack for knowing when he wasn't doing his work. Her lack of presence was surprising but also a relief. The silence was broken when Mustang quietly said, "You'd get hurt, too, Ed." This time, the familiarity of his subordinate's name wasn't a slip. "You're not alone in all of this. Let me… let me protect you."

The air was still, thick with the quiet. Then: "Don't you already do that, being my superior? What makes things so different now?"

_Dammit,_ Roy somberly swore as he once again stared into those expressive aureate eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Eyes to See, Ears to Hear**

"**He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore."** –_Sigmund Freud_

* * *

Colonel Mustang was silent as the insinuation echoed in his mind. '_Being my superior.'_ _Edward's superior- no, Fullmetal's superior. But what am I to Edward, the young man- not the alchemist?_ He closed his eyes for a moment before answering.

"Yes, I do. Some officers don't care about their soldiers, but I do. I care for each person in my command."

Edward nodded, his eyes flickering away for a moment before returning to stare at Roy's again. The older alchemist could tell there was hurt in those eyes as well as confusion.

"But…" blonde eyebrows rose in surprise at the continuation. "I also care for you, Edward, as a person; someone not in my command. I care for you, and not just the alchemist you are. You really are someone that I can see myself being with romantically, and… ever since that kiss, I can't forget about it, and frankly, I don't want to. I want there to be more, but I also want you to be happy." Mustang rose from his chair and sat down on the bed next to the blonde, still watching golden irises. "I did what I thought was best for you and me. Our positions, our goals, and people we care about can be in jeopardy if people found out about that day. Even if nothing further comes of this," here his gloved hands gestured the air, "people can still manipulate my feelings for you."

"And then there's you. You've worked so hard, Edward, and you deserve happiness, but I'm not sure if that happiness is with me. To be honest, I don't even know if you are bisexual, but, well, I had a hunch. I want you to know that I'm not forcing you into anything, or asking you to decide at all or anytime soon. If you want to be with anyone, that's your decision and I don't want to influence that. Ugh, I'm rambling. I just… I needed you to know that. I don't want any regrets because I think we've had more than enough in our lives." Roy finally tore his eyes away and took a breath.

Edward blinked once, then again. "Um."

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Roy said as he shifted his gaze back to Edward's.

"I want to. Okay, so, uh, basically, you kinda l-like me, and, yeah. Wanted me to know or something. And there's people that abuse those emotions. We're not going to be safe, not since I k-k-kissed you… but if it happen again, obviously there's more of a risk. Yeah, I think I have everything." The teen seemed to be rambling somewhat, as if he needed to say it aloud to fully comprehend it. Roy understood and only nodded his head in agreement.

"So, I don't know if I like you. I… I thought I liked Winry, ya know?" Edward said, then frowned. He opened his mouth but thought about it and closed it again. He fisted the blanket and breathed in and out, slowly. "I need to think about it, okay? I know I liked the, uh, the kiss," the teen blushed slightly, "but I don't know if it's just attraction. Is that… is that okay?" He questioned the dark-haired man.

Roy smiled softly. "Of course. I understand completely, Edward." He looked back to the nightstand where his notes lay. "Should we get back to the report now?"

Ed smiled softly and answered: "Sure."

* * *

Alphonse left his brother and the Colonel alone, again. He knew the tension was there, and it was even starting to garner notice from Lieutenant Hawkeye. How long could he keep the truth from everyone? What would happen when they learned he'd drugged his brother, an officer in the military, to manipulate him into insubordination? They wouldn't tell the MP's about it- at least Al hoped they wouldn't- because then the Colonel and his brother would suffer the consequences, after all that they had worked for. He didn't want to get his boy back, not really anyways. He didn't deserve it, but his older brother did, and if anyone knew anything… it would jeopardize that.

_But, _the armor thought, _if anyone found out that they kissed, it could still ruin them. What was I thinking?_ He tried to think through his thought process, to see what exactly made him think that setting his brother up for something he might not have wanted. He saw the potential chemistry between the two; they were intelligent and could work well together, be happy with one another. Grimly, Alphonse realized that he thought his plan was foolproof. The two were meant to be together, and all they needed was a little push, right? And what if his brother wasn't even bisexual, or curious?

He wanted to bash his head against the wall, to punish himself for thinking like that, but it would only result in damages to the man's hotel. Al was desperate, a little lonely, and sick, if he wanted to be honest to himself. He just needed to be honest with his brother, now. Deciding that he would finally tell Edward the truth, he began building his resolve- until he heard laughter from Winry's room. He felt awkward, standing in the hallway across from the two rooms, and he remembered saying that he would check on her to see if she needed anything.

So he walked over to the door when he heard giggling again. "…and I kissed him!" Al heard Winry exclaim.

Hawkeye chuckled in reply. "I can just picture Edward's face."

"He was blushing! It was… it made me happy, to know that he really cares about me. I know we can't really have a relationship until he and Al accomplish their goal, but I told him I'd wait."

"I know he appreciates everything you do for him, Winry. You are both wonderful young adults and are good for each other."

"Thank you, Riza. I'm really happy I can talk with you about this."

"Of course; anytime."

Alphonse was frozen: his brother and Winry had kissed? And… she would wait for him. She was happy, and although it felt like his heart had broken in two, one half felt glad that Winry was happy. The other half felt charred by his motives and actions. Alphonse didn't even know what had happened between his brother and his commanding officer but it was obvious something had transpired to make them both uncomfortable.

Yet, if Edward had responded positively, then he had obviously chosen Winry over Roy, right? Al shook his head at the mess he created. He screwed things up, and he could only that Winry, the Colonel and Edward would forgive him, one day.

He raised one leather glove and knocked on the door.


End file.
